Universal pneumatic-action.



H. MEYER.

UNIVERSAL PNEUMATIG AGTION.

urmcumn nmm we. 1, 1908.

923,548. Patented June 1, 1909.

2 8HBETB-SHEET 1.

Y L U /f WITNESSES INVENTOFI Jfermcuuz Me e1 ATTORNEY H. MEYER.

UNIVERSAL PNEUMATIC ACTION.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' I N VE N T05 )[erm an n Jfeg er ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES HER'MANN MEYER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

UNIVERSAL PNEUMATIC-ACTION.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HERMANN MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Universal Pneumatic-Action, of which the fol lowing is a: full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to self-playing pianos and like musical instruments, and its object is to provide a new improved universal pneumatic action capable of use in any make of piano, and arranged to permit convenient and accurate connectionbetween the pneumatics and the individual hammer actions of the piano.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, whichwill be more fully described hereinafter and then ointed out in the claims.

A practica embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross section of the improvement as applied to an upright piano; Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear sectional elevation of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same showing the same pneumatic action applied to a piano having a piano action arranged differently from the one shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section of the connection between a lifter rod and the movable member of a pneumatic; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the guideways for the lifter rods.

It is well known that the individual hammer actions in different makes of pianos are differently spaced apart, so that a pneumatic action which may fit one make of piano will not fit another make. New for manufacturers who supply pneumatic actions to piano-makers for use in their pianos, it is necessary to supply different styles of pneumatic actions in order to fit the different styles of pianos. In some pianos two end brackets and two intermediate brackets are employed for the support of the piano action (see D Fig. 2), thus requiring a diifercnt spacing of the individual piano actions than for pianos having, say, two end brackets and three or more intermediate brackets (see D Fig. 3) for supporting the entire piano action,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 1, 1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Serial No. 446,457.

and it is evident that the same pneumatic action which may iit the piano having four supporting brackets, does not permit of making proper connection between the individual pneumatics and the individual piano actions of a piano having five or more supporting brackets.

It is well known that the individual ac tions of a piano action are spaced closer in the treble than in the bass, that is, the individual actions of a section located between a pair of acent brackets are differently spaced than individual actions in an adjacent section of the same piano action, and more or less space is had on the opposite sides of the intermediate brackets (see Fig. 2), all tending to greatly vary the spacing of the individual actions in pianos of different makes. It is further known that piano-makers who provide their pianos with self-players, arrange the pneumatics to suit the spacing of the individual actions of their pianos, but such pneumatic action could not be used in a different make of piano, that is, one having its individual actions spaced different distances apart. Now in order to enable the manufacturer of pneumatic actions tosupply the makers of pianos varying in the spacing of the individual actions with a universal pneumatic action which allows ready and accurate connection with the piano action, is the object of the invention presently to be described in detail.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the pneumatic action A for the piano B, is located over the rear portion of the keyboard C and in front of the piano action D, and the said pneumatic action A is secured to the sides of the frame E of the piano B by the usual end brackets. The pneumatic action A is provided at-its front with a main suction chamber F, connected by a tube G, with a suction device H, of any approved construction, and on the rear of the said main suction chamber F are secured rails I, located one above the other and supporting tiers of pneumatics J, arranged for connection by tubes K with the tracker board L, over which passes the note sheet N for controlling the pneumatics J in the usual manner. The movable member J of each pneumatic is provided with a screw eye 0, engaged by the lower end of a litter rod P, engaging at its upper end the under side of the front end of a corresponding jack rocker D of the piano action D, so that when a pneumatic J collapses, then a swinging motion is given to the corresponding jack rocker D, to actuate the corresponding hammer, with a view to sound the desired string. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the pneumatics J in each tier are spaced equidistant apart throughout the length of the tier, and the pneumatics J in the several tiers break joints. By this arrangement more pneumatics are provided than are used in the piano, but each lifter rod P can be properly connected with a pneumatic so as to connect each pneumatic accurately by the corresponding lifter rod P with the respective jack rocker D of an individual hammer action.

In order to dispose each lifter rod P verti cally from the j ack rocker D downward, and to connect this lower end of the lifter rod with the corresponding pneumatic J, it is necessary that the screw eye 0 be correspondingly shifted along the movable member J in the direction of the length of the tier, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 2- and 3. The upper portions of the lifter rods Pare guided in guideways formed in a strip Q secured to the top board R of the pneumatic action A, the guideways being formed according to the positions of the jack rockers for a particular make of piano.

Now by comparison of Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a number of pneumatics J in alinement with the intermediate brackets D are not used, while the same pneumatics are used in the piano shown in Fig. 3, and some of the pneumatics illustrated in Fig. 3 and located in alinement with the brackets D are not used, while these very same nonused pneumatics are used in the piano shown in Fig. 2. Thus no matter what spacing the individual actions in a piano may have, the universal pneumatic shown and described permits accurate connection with each individual action, to insure proper playing of the instrument by mechanical means.

It is understood that the pneumatics J which are not used simply remain dormant.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the arrangement described the pneumatic action can be readily used in any make of piano.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A universal pneumatic action for insertion in pianos having differently spaced hammer actions, comprising a support, pneumatics mounted thereon and arranged in tiers, the pneumatics in each tier being spaced equidistant apart throughout the length of a tier and the pneumatics in the several tiers breaking joints, the number of the pneumatics being in excess of the number of the said hammer actions and a connection between the movable member of a pneumatic and the corresponding individual hammer action of the piano.

2. A universal pneumatic action for insertion in pianos having different spaced hammer actions, comprising a support, pneumatics mounted thereon and arranged in tiers, the pneumatics in each tier beingspaced equidistant apart throughoutthe length of a tier and the pneumatics in the several tiers breaking joints, the number of the pneumatics being in excess of the number of the said hammer actions and a connection between the movable members of a pneumatic and the corresponding individual hammer action of the piano, each connection being adjustable at the movable member of the pneumatic in the direction of the width of the pneumatic.

3. A universal pneumatic action for insertion in pianos having differently spaced hammer actions, comprising a support, pneumatics mounted thereon and arranged in tiers, the pneumatics in each tier being spaced equidistant apart throughout the length of a tier and the pneumatics in the several tiers breaking j oints, the number of the pneumatics being in excess of the number of the said hammer actions lifter rods, one for each individual hammer action of the piano, and connections for engagement with the lifter rods and adjustable on the movable members of the pneumatics in the direction of the width of the said pneumatics.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMANN MEYER.

Witnesses THEo. G. Hos'rnn, EVERARD B. MARsHALL. 

